Page 66 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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Suspension of Standing Orders
Motion by Mr Whalan proposed:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Deputy Chief Minister from moving a motion to alter the routine of business so that questions without notice may be called on at 2.30 pm today.
MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, I move that the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.
MR SPEAKER: The question that the standing orders be suspended is to be put forthwith without debate The question is that the standing orders be suspended.
Question agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.
ROUTINE OF BUSINESS - QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Motion (by Mr Whalan) proposed:
That, at this sitting, the routine of business as set out in standing order 74 be varied so that questions without notice can be called on at 2.30 pm by the Speaker interrupting the business then before the Assembly:
Provided that:
(a) if a vote is in progress at the time fixed for interruption, that vote, and any vote consequent upon that vote, shall be completed and the result announced; and
(b) the Speaker shall fix the time for the resumption of the debate on any business under discussion and not disposed of at the time of interruption.
MR COLLAERY: We are seeing not an erosion of the freedom of speech in this Assembly; we are just seeing an absolute collapse of established tenets of conducting debate in a democratic chamber. I shall not go back over past events, Mr Speaker, but it is clear to the Residents Rally that this move to put question time on at the same time as the question time is on across the lake creates problems for the media. That is one issue. The second thing is that this is political gamesmanship to defeat access early in the day by the media - and publicity, of course, as we all know in this Western democratic system, is the soul of justice. This is a tactical move to deflect business of this Assembly that will be uncomfortable to this Government, this minority Government, throughout this present sitting.
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